Men's Heavyweight Crew

MIT Heavies Moving Up Fast

Oct 24, 2006

Oct. 24, 2006

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - MIT's varsity heavyweight crew took advantage of beautiful weather and a home course advantage on Sunday to post their best-ever finish in the Head of the Charles "Collegiate Eights" race. The big boat started 22nd out of 58 crews, and had to row through heavy traffic to finish in sixth place.

First and second places went to Canadian schools, making MIT the fourth American finisher. Since the Collegiate Eights race was introduced in 2002, MIT had never finished higher than 14th.

MIT's second boat, rowing as Beaver Boat Club, collided with Peking University's crew under the Weeks footbridge. The impact sank the Chinese boat and turned the MIT boat perpendicular to the racecourse. While no one was hurt, the MIT boat lost significant time and finished 55th.

The crew travels next to Princeton, New Jersey, for the Princeton Chase, on October 29, where they will race against Yale, Princeton, Navy and other Division I top-10 crews.